A Man is Known by His Silence
by Identity's Crisis
Summary: "You conned everyone into believing you had this perfect life and now your sitting here trying to fool me too, but guess what?" He leaned forward further so that his breath tickled the tip of Daniels nose, "I'm on to you and no matter how long it takes I will crack you, because your childhood may have been messed up, but no one's above the law."
1. Chapter 1

This was the part he wasn't looking forward to. They still had a lot to go but all of what was to come was going to be fun, or at the very least exciting. This however, this would be the opposite. He had never been a fan of close questioning when he had to keep the façade up constantly. It would be worse going up against the police, they were trained to spot deception. Luckily for him he had a lifetime of practice.

The handcuffs though, those would make it harder, almost indefinitely so. The feeling of them around his wrists would be distracting. Already he could feel them biting into his skin with a chilled cruelty and he quickly he pulled his long sweater further down his arms, its hem resting just past the first knuckle of his thumb.

Of course he didn't even know if they would question him at all, or how much. They had all planned out what they would say, what game they would each play with the cops and had practiced incessantly, mostly on his request. He knew the words he was supposed to say, he was just struggling with the conviction part.

"Freeze! Hands in the Air," instantly his mask, already in place, hardened, becoming near impenetrable. The game had begun.

It was easier than he had thought it would be to keep up the pretense, to pretend. At one point he thought Rhodes had him figured out when he said he could see through him, but that had just been a bluff, something he could easily throw off with the careless raise of an eyebrow. Now all there was left to do was wait to be released, because they would be released, there was no question about that, especially after his line about the FBI and Interpol believing in magic.

The door creaked open and he looked up startled when he saw Rhodes enter by himself, a manila folder clutched tightly in his hand.

"Hey Atlas, there are just a few more questions I have here for you and I was hoping you would be so kind as to answer them." Daniel raised his eyebrows and smirked, leaning back as far as the now reapplied handcuffs would let him. He tried to hide his apprehension; he wasn't prepared for this, already having used his best tricks. Rhodes seemed different now too, without the Interpol agent in tow, and exuding a confidence that was somehow more intense than the cocky aura he had emanating when he had first walked in.

"What happened to your lady friend? She was much more fun to talk to." Rhodes just smirked as he sat down, leaning back in his chair and opening the file slowly, eyes flicking from the page back up to him. Daniel tried not to flinch.

"You must have been a clumsy kid." Daniel frowned.

"Excuse me?" An itching started up underneath his skin and he tried to act like the words didn't sting him, didn't make him want to curl up into a ball. If he broke now there was no way there were getting out of these deceivingly depressing rooms, and both him and Rhodes knew it.

Rhodes's smirk just widened,

"I said you must have been a clumsy kid," he nodded down to the file in his hands, "to go to the hospital so often. What was it, eleven visits by the time you were from ages ten to eighteen? Must have been hard on your father, seeing that he was a single parent and all." The itching had turned into burning now, roasting him from his core. The handcuffs felt much tighter, the room much brighter, his shirt see through, the skin underneath exposed. He didn't allow himself to squirm.

"What can I say, I have many talents, but balance isn't one of them." The tightness in his voice wasn't too noticeable but he could tell that Rhodes caught it. This was why he needed endless hours of practice, because self-control only went so far. You can't completely stop the waver in your voice while crying no matter how hard you try. Rhodes just shook his head slowly, and leaned forward.

"You wanna know what I think?" Daniel just shrugged and sat back in the chair, as if distance would slow the words falling from the agents mouth, desperately trying to summon his remaining resolve to keep the mask firmly in place.

"I think that after your mom died, my condolences," the sincerity was lacking and Daniel tried to keep his fists from clenching, "he threw you around, probably an alcoholic, maybe something worse. I think he never really recovered from the murder."

Rhodes was looking very pleased with himself as he leaned further over the table, his eyes gleaming with excitement, "you used this magic gimmick as an escape, a trick to keep yourself from having to deal with your father, with the shittyness of everything. Then you found out you were kinda good, and used it as your ticket to escape." Daniel forced himself to yawn to try to perturb Rhodes from the rout he had taken, show his obvious disinterest, but the man just barreled on perhaps with even more gusto than before.

"You conned everyone into believing you had this perfect life and now your sitting here trying to fool me too, but guess what?" He leaned forward further so that his breath tickled the tip of Daniels nose and the magician leaned forward too, attempting to keep up the front a little while longer while the memories he had always worked to keep at bay tried to force themselves into the forefront of his mind, "I'm on to you and no matter how long it takes I will crack you, because your childhood may have been fucked up, but no one's above the law."

Smirking Daniel leaned back and cocked his head to the side,

"That's a great story detective, and I'm sure that your buddies over in your improve class will love it," he settled himself back in his chair, hands palms down on the table, smirk firmly in place, "but nothing could be further from the truth." He smiled and patted the detective on the hand, safe in the knowledge that Rhodes didn't know, not really.

Rhodes just shook his head and stood up, left hand lingering on the file.

"It's impressive this act of yours, I'll give you that. If I wasn't staring at a file full of evidence I would almost believe you." Daniel just smiled and folded his hands the best he could trying to calm the clawing hands that were destroying his insides, fighting off the chills that were trying to overtake him. Memories were always laced with poison and he couldn't afford to let himself fall prey to them here where he couldn't fall apart.

"What you believe is up to you but it doesn't change the truth." Daniel said, immediately regretting it when Rhodes barked a laugh eyes sharp and cold,

"That's sure as hell true." Pausing for a moment he seems to consider something before his eyes flash, "The other horsemen don't know do they?"

"As I am not in the habit of weaving tall tales..." Trailing off Daniel instantly knew it was the wrong thing to say. Rhodes had ammunition now, something to throw the others off, make them question him and create group conflict, making them easier to catch, because both he and Rhodes know that the Horseman will be out in a matter of hours.

In the end it didn't matter that Rhodes was off on his guess; so far off it was almost laughable, all that mattered was that the others would believe it. Already he could picture Merritt, Henley and Jack eating it up, connecting the dots to form the wrong picture. They would make it out of the police questioning but Daniel wouldn't leave the interrogation room.

"If it's all the same to you I think I'll let them draw their own conclusions." Daniel was losing the game now; all his cards already played leaving Rhodes all the ammunition. He tapped his fingers on the table and swallowed pulling out the last resort.

"Think of a number agent." Rhodes just smiled as he stood up and pulled the file back towards himself. "From one to ten."

"I've had enough of your careless misdirection's." Daniel felt his heart sink as his last hope was dashed, he watched as Rhodes gave a mock salute before opening the door and leaving.

"Four." He called out after him and felt his spirits rise a little as the agent frowned, at least he had unnerved him a bit, it never hurt to try to get your opponent off their game even just a little.

Daniel wanted to slump back into his chair, to let the mask slip for a moment but he couldn't, the chance that agents were just outside staring at him through the one-way glass kept him stoic, kept him stone. Instead, he yawned and leaned back a little in his chair. He allowed himself a small smile; it was in keeping with his cocky unconcerned bastard persona, the one he had worked so hard to formulate, the one that he clung to like it was the only life preserver in a storm.

They were released within the hour, as predicted, and drove back to the hotel surrounded by a happy buzz. Daniel remained on edge, kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, but as time wore on and the evening swiftly approached he grew less wary. His guard slowly lowered and he allowed himself to relax a little, letting a genuine smile slide onto his face. Maybe Rhodes had just been trying to get in his head, had given up the tactic when Daniel had seemed unconcerned. If Henley had heard anything she would be relentless in her pursuit of the truth. He was pretty sure Merritt would have brought it up already to throw him at some point, use it as a way to squirm inside his head and try to give hand out some of his ten dollar "therapy," and Jack…well Jack he wasn't sure about.

The young magician was the friendliest of the four and was often brushed to the side as a result of it, well, that and his age. Daniel himself was probably the guiltiest of pushing him to the side, something he should really be trying harder to stop, even if it wasn't in keeping with his persona. It wasn't fair to young magician to be continuously deflected and ignored as he was really quite good, and could pull off every street trick Daniel knew but would never admit to being able to pull off. There was a slight difference to the slight of hand that a street born magician practiced, one he was sure Henley and Merritt couldn't quite pull off.

Jack would most likely blurt it out at some random time as he didn't quite seem to know when it would be most appropriate to bring up more sensitive issues, as was obvious by his past failed attempts to get Daniel to increase his role in shows, though again that wasn't really Jack's fault.

None of them knew, that was it, had to be, otherwise someone would have mentioned something already, they wouldn't be this normal. Daniel sighed and flipped the page of the novel he was reading, a psychology book he had started in an attempt to one up Merritt. Now however, he was more interested in the emergence of morals than analyzing his fellow magician's technique, to be fair he had most definitely chosen the wrong book for achieving his goal to begin with.

"Daniel," looking up from the deck of cards he was nervously shuffling in his hands, a habit he had yet to break, he met Merritt's eyes, "you alright there? You're looking a bit pale." The mentalist was staring at him with his usual intensity, eyes boring into his skull.

The cards settled on his lap as he stilled his hands,

"I'm touched by the sentiment but I'm just thinking. A foreign concept to you I'm sure, but one quite common place for most." Daniel could almost feel Henley's eye roll from where she sat opposite Merritt. Merritt raised his hands in a gesture of surrender,

"Down boy." Daniel scoffed and started to twirl the cards again, the sound of the glossed papers hitting against each other calming his nerves in a way that nothing else could. He could still feel the heat of a gaze on him, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Jerking his head up he caught Jack's eye, the youngest of the group was sitting a few seats down, but was staring right at him. For a moment he thought it was nothing more than the idol worship he had been treated to for several weeks when they first met, until Henley had kindly reminded Jack that he was just as good a magician as the rest of them or he wouldn't be there so stop trailing after Atlas like a puppy, but the severity of the stare made him think something else was prompting the scrutiny.

Clearing his throat Daniel settled his face into a look of subtle annoyance before starting to speak, he needed to be in control, it was the only thing that kept him safe.

"What." His tone was brusque and uninviting but that was the point, intimidation was always a good technique whether it was with tone, knowledge, or physicality.

Jack seemed a little startled by his intensity and he readjusted, looking down, before mumbling his answer just load enough for Daniel and the other Horsemen to hear,

"Just thinking about something the detective said." Daniel felt himself tense, knuckles going white as he gripped the cards in hands tight enough that the edges bit into his palms painfully. Jack wouldn't meet his eyes now and he wondered if that was from his previous harshness or something else. Just as he opened his mouth to ask just what Jack was referring too Henley clapped her hands together excitedly and turned so that she was facing the isle.

"Oh yes we didn't even talk about it. Lets get some stories going!" From the way her eyes were gleaming he figured she'd given Rhodes a run for his money, maybe even the Interpol agent too.

Merritt smiled, the smile that always made Daniel grind his teeth together, the one that screamed I'm-better-than-you, and tipped his hat back on his head,

"I don't know about you all but my interrogation went better than the rehearsal." The smug smile stayed firmly in place, "Guy has some major daddy issues and the girl was secretive, honestly I'd be surprised if they weren't already fighting. There was enough tension in the room before I started working my magic," he wiggled his eyebrows and winked at Jack who chuckled good naturedly, "I bet they're at each other's throats right now." Merritt glanced over at him and Daniel gave the other man the smile he was looking for even though he felt slightly sick from the butterflies slamming into the walls of his stomach.

Henley flashed her teeth in a smile that was almost predatory, "I put them in quite the uncomfortable situation myself, they barely stayed in my room for two minutes." Daniel forced a stale sounding chuckle from his lips, which even he winced at. The focus immediately snapped to him and Henley raised her eyebrow, as if challenging him to do better.

"I stuck to what we rehearsed, you all basically owe our release to me you know." Merritt sneered and Henley offered up a surprised laugh while Jack shook his head.

"Loosen up Atlas, you know they would have released us without your little line about the FBI believing in magic if we were charged." Merritt looked bemused, "Besides if you go through life with a stick up your ass you can't really enjoy yourself, savor the victories." He gestured around to the private jet they were sitting in, courtesy of Arnold(look up his name), and looked at Daniel expectantly.

Before he could respond Henley had interjected,

"Alright boys enough, let Jack have a go, you two are boring anyway." She fixed her bright hazel(?) eyes on him and ignored the two of them. Jack's expression flickered before he leaned back in his seat and shrugged,

"Nothing much to say, they barely even spoke to me and I didn't have much of a chance to get under there skin," he shrugged seemingly unconcerned, though his eyes kept flicking over to where Daniel sat stiff in his chair, "at one point Rhodes came back in by himself and started to say something," this time when Jack's eyes flicked toward him they paused and Daniel heard blood roaring past his ears. He felt as though flames where lapping at his thighs, he was burning up but somehow, despite his turtleneck sweater and long kakis, still too exposed. Jack's eyes left his own, "but before he could another agent came in and made him leave. That was when they were running out of time and their superiors were getting antsy." Jack turned toward him, "I guess your line about the FBI and magic worked on some level." Henley cackled and Merritt grumbled, tipping his hat so that it shadowed his face. Daniel plastered on a smug smirk even though Jack had sounded more placating then complementary. Something in the way Jack studied him, his eyes lingering a bit too long on his face till he went back to staring out the window as he had been before, told him that Jack wasn't quite ready to drop the subject of the interrogation.

Daniel allowed himself to relax, now that the immediate threat had passed he could feel himself start to unwind. The tension practically dripped out of his fingers as he slumped back in his seat, allowing his neck to loll against the headrest and his fingers to lazily dance around the cards in his lap. The heat that had been searing him just moments ago vanished. He felt safe, or at least as safe as he could feel constantly having to maintain his image, his character. His past was still in the past and he could allow himself a moment to let his guard down, just a little. Yes Jack knew something, but it couldn't be much or he would have brought it up sooner, and whatever it was it wasn't the truth so he could always deny it's relevance without lying, and without revealing anything too important. Henley and Merritt were still conveniently in the dark and he planned on keeping them there, so any future conversation with Jack would have to be in private, he didn't need Merritt trying to pry into his life, and his head, more than he did already.

Confronting Jack before the young magician had a chance to corner him seemed like the best plan of action; he could be more in control of the situation if he was the one who initiated it. That way he wouldn't be caught off guard and would have the advantage of a planned out method of attack. He didn't want to involve Merritt or Henley, meaning that he needed to have the conversation in a private place or when they weren't around because they would butt their way in like always, which would be difficult in it of itself because they all kept rather close quarters to limit expenses and keep a low profile.

The beginnings of a headache were starting right behind his eyes and he rubbed at them absentmindedly too tired to attempt anything more. The days stress was beginning to take a toll on him, making him feel sluggish and tired, as if the whole world was just slightly out of focus. He took deep breaths, concentrating on his breathing to help lull him to sleep.

A hand on his shoulder caused him to sit bolt up right almost knocking his head against Jack's. Jack looked rather surprised himself, pulling his hand back as though he hand been burned and frowning a little, eyebrows drawing in as he gave him a genuine look of concern. Daniel smiled tightly and rubbed at his eyes, the headache that had been brewing hitting him hard.

"Sorry," Jack rubbed at his neck fretfully and Daniel had to fight the urge to roll his eyes, "I just, I wanted to talk to you and the others are asleep," he gestured vaguely over his shoulder to where Henley and Merritt were reclining, "and, well, you never sleep on planes so I figured you were just really relaxed or something-"

Daniel held up his hand to silence Jack's babbling, distantly he felt a spark of guilt at his flippant treatment of his fellow Horseman, but his headache pushed down any urge to act on the feeling.

"It's fine, what did you want?" He tried to keep his tone neutral as he kneaded his temple with one hand while gesturing for Jack to sit with the other. Daniel watched as Jack sank into the chair opposite him, fiddling with his trademark leather(?) jacket and worrying his lip.

"When I was in the interrogation room agent Rhodes said-" Jack started raising his eyes to meet Daniel's own when Daniel cut him off,

"Listen, police tend to do whatever they can to worm their way under your skin and unnerve you. I'm sure whatever Rhodes said was just to set you off balance." Jack furrowed his brow and started to shake his head,

"No I know that it's just that I thought-" Daniel swallowed running his fingers through his hair and trying to keep himself from succumbing to the all to familiar panic that was beginning to climb its way up his throat. Guilt blossomed within him as an idea picked its way into his brain, and he forced himself to stay in the passively engaged state that he was currently projecting as he spat out the words he knew would shut Jack up,

"I might have expected this from the others but honestly Jack, someone with your background should already know how these types of things work." Instantly Jack's jaw snapped shut and Daniel saw hurt flash across his eyes before he was able to rein in his emotions and stuff the pain somewhere invisible to the onlooker. His whole body stiffened and Daniel could see the muscles of his jaw working under his skin. The blank expression on his friends face cut Daniel deeper than he thought it would and he dug his nails into the palms of his hands to force himself to keep up his snarky cruel persona. It wasn't fair that he was hurting Jack like this just to protect himself, the kid had no doubt been through enough. His conscience was yelling at him to apologize, to beg for forgiveness, come clean, do something. The hammering in his head increased and his headache caused a ringing in his ears, just as it was becoming to much, as the guilt had reached his mouth, Jack stood up.

"Yeah, your right. It was stupid, there's no way what he said could have been true. I should have known better." The words were icy blades, stabbing at Daniel and tearing at his skin. A grimace that couldn't possibly pass as a smile crossed his face but luckily Jack had already turned and started to make his way back to his seat. He allowed himself to breathe, exhaling in a long sigh as he leaned back against his seat. Silently he hoped that he hadn't just blown any chance he'd had at getting closer to Jack, the young man certainly had a lot to offer and he thought that giving him a support system he could fall back on might help him open up. Though, he supposed he wasn't one to be talking about opening up judging by the interaction he'd just had.

Groaning he drummed his fingers against the arm rests of his seats, they should be landing soon, he felt as though they had been in the air for hours, and then he could buy some Advil and pass out. He just needed to rest, sleep of the strain of the day, and he would be fine, he would have to be, there was still so much to be done and none of them could afford it if he started to slip up. Besides, by tomorrow they'd be busy rehearsing or staying a step ahead of the police and the whole interaction would be forgotten, or at the very least pushed to the back burner for a while.

It had only gotten more hectic since that day in interrogation and the Horseman were exhausted. They were all enjoying a rare moment of down time in a dingy apartment in New York. Jack's "death" had been extremely draining they were all lounging in the living room, sprawled out on chairs, the couch, and the floor in Merritt's case. They had a few hours before they needed to pull their final stunt and everyone was grateful for the respite, however momentary.

Already they had filmed the speech they were to post regarding the faked death, and all the other necessary pieces were already in place. All that was left to do was show up and complete the final show, hopefully resulting in their initiation into the Eye. It was a bit sentimental, Daniel supposed, this was one of their final moments as the Four Horseman, they might not be together like this for quite some time seeing as after the final show their instructions all but disappeared. He was unsure of the other's thoughts regarding what to do after they were finally done, but if the Eye turned out to be some kind of hoax or they were all rejected he wasn't sure what he would do. He had grown rather found of his fellow magicians, even Merritt, though he would never admit it, and if all else failed he thought it might be nice to stay in their company, or at least stay in touch.

The silence in the room was rather relaxing and, besides the typical noises of the New York City streets, nothing made a sound, allowing each of them to be absorbed in their own thoughts.

The phone ringing made him jump, cutting through the silence with a piercing clarity that made him wince. Merritt grumbled to himself and Henley kicked at his shin from where she was lying on the other side of the couch. He grimaced and pulled his foot away, rubbing at it ruefully. He caught Jack's eye as he dug the infernal machine out of his pocket and frowned at the smirk he saw on the young man's face.

Annoyed he glanced at the caller ID and instantly stiffened, sitting straight up and pushing himself off the couch. Quickly, taking long strides he walked into one of the only other separate room, besides the bathroom, the one bedroom that they had deposited their stuff in. They wouldn't be here long enough to sleep so it had just turned into an oversized closet. Closing the door behind him he allowed himself a moment to collect his thoughts. The shrill tone of the ringer continued and he squeezed his eyes shut before exhaling tiredly and answering the call.

"Hello." It was quick and cold, uninviting, the tone of someone who would much rather be doing something else.

"Hey there boyo." No amount of preparation could keep him from tensing when he heard the gruff, unforgiving voice of his father coming through the speakers of his phone.

"What do you want?" He always wanted something. That was the only reason he called anymore, which was just fine with Daniel. He would have cut off all contact with the man years ago but he couldn't bear the thought of having no family left, none that he knew anyway, even if he hated the man. The thought of having absolutely no one was too much for him. So he made sure his dad had his number and would answer when he called, most of the time.

"What, I can't just call you to check up on ya? I haven't seen you in years, the least you could do is give me a call now and then." Someone shouted in the background of the call and Daniel frowned, through the jumble of noises coming through the phone he could make out the sound of a TV.

Sighing he pinched the bridge of his nose,

"You're in a bar, aren't you?" It figures, the man was probably well into his fourth or fifth drink and had called his son because of some sort of long lost sentiment.

"Nah, don't you worry about where your old man is. I'm at home."

"Right, of course." Daniel slumped further against the door, talking to his dad always put a strain on him, made it harder to fend of his demons. It wasn't made harder by the fact that the others where probably trying to listen in, or at the very least trying to deduce who he might be talking to.

A heavy silence occupied the line as neither of them spoke.

"So how have ya been? Missed me any?" A wave of exhaustion overtook him; he didn't have the energy needed to keep up the conversation. Their last show was that night and the day had been long enough already,

"Come on dad, we don't do this. Why are you calling, really?" His father audibly swallowed on the other end of the line and Daniel knew he was about to come clean.

"Listen, I've ah, I've run into a bit of trouble over here," there it was, of course, it was always the same. _Hi how are you, do you still have that necklace of your mothers? Can you lend me a couple hundred? I'm short on rent. Eddie needs someone to pick his niece from the airport and I know your in the area, could you do it? I owe him a favor and it would really help me out_ , "and I was wondering if you could lend me some money?" His voice grew coarser and Daniel could only assume the alcohol was making him antsy.

"For what?" Already he was calculating how much money he could reasonably give to his father without ruining the stable nature of his bank account that he had worked hard to achieve.

"I just…I made a few bad calls is all and now I owe Samson a couple thousand." There was a pause and he heard a load sigh, "I'm short twelve grand."

Daniel couldn't help it he actually laughed at that, a harsh grating sound that sounded more mocking than amused. There was no way he could give his father that much money. He hadn't exactly been making much while planning and executing the shows and, while they had been provided with money to carry everything out and had all chipped in for food, he didn't exactly have a huge surplus in his account. Though, it was doubtful he could spare that much on a good day anyway.

"There's no way, I'm sorry but I can't." His voice was softer than it had been before, and he chewed his lip, "But dad, Samson? Really? It couldn't have been anyone else?"

His father's voice lowered into almost a growl,

"I know, do you think I don't know? I know how bad it is. Fuck, do you think I would be calling you if I had to?" He wished he could say it didn't sting, that he didn't wince at his father's words, but they still wormed their way under his skin making him hunch over and pull his sweater lower over his wrists.

"Look I won't bother you again for awhile, I'll stay away from ya like I know you want me to, just _please_ , this is all I'm asking for." The desperation caused his voice to crack and Daniel bit his lip in sympathy. He felt slightly nauseous. Samson was a bad egg, one of the worst, owing a debt to him was not something you wanted to do if you weren't found of hospitals and bankruptcy.

"I just don't have it," fatigue caused his bones to ache and he tilted his head back to rest on the solid rough surface of the door behind him, staring up at the chipping once white paint on the ceiling. "I want to help, I really do but I can't afford it." His voice was kinder than it had been when talking to his father in years, more compassionate than he would have thought possible.

"Well what the fuck use are you then!" Came the bellowed reply. Fury laced his words and Daniel flinched back from his phone instinctually. "I mean… Jesus, you leave to find a 'better life' but you haven't done shit, have you? I mean if you can't even spot me a couple thousand— _me,_ the one that fucking raised you from fucking birth, then why did I keep you around all those years?" His voice grew louder with each word till Daniel had to hold the phone a little ways from his ear. He felt himself shrinking as his dad continued to scream into the phone. The familiar feeling of obligation pricked at his skin and he felt himself slipping back into the poisonous mindset he had carried as a teenager.

"Dad," his voice sounded small even to his own ears, "I guess I could help out, not with the whole thing but maybe with some-"

His father cut him off, scratchy voice load and demanding in his ear,

"You don't get it, I need it now! Goddamn it, you were my last fucking resort!" Swallowing loudly his voice suddenly dropped into his familiar stern tone, "listen son, I'm sorry for all of this, I shouldn't 've bothered you." The sluggishness in his voice was unlike anything Daniel had ever heard from the man and it sent a bolt of fear down his back.

"Bye, son." Abruptly the phone disconnected and he blinked, mouth still open with the question that had been on the tip of his tongue poised for release, _will you be all right?_ Shaking his head to clear it, he pushed down the feeling of unease that had slowly started to creep over him till it shrouded him like a cloak. He turned, shoving the phone into his pocket, and grabbing the cold metal of the door handle. Pausing for a moment he took a deep breath, thumping his forehead against the door and squeezing his eyes shut. He waited until he could easily call the smug expression he always wore to the surface, then twisted the knob to the right and pushed open the door.

Henley leaned on the wall opposite him, obviously waiting for him to exit the bedroom. She wore a look of curiosity and caught his eyes as soon as he stepped through the doorway. Running his fingers through his hair he tore his eyes away from hers and turned towards the kitchen, he needed a good drink.

"Daniel." She was somehow kind and imposing at the same time and he sighed, waving his hand vaguely in her direction as he passed by Merritt and Jack in the living room who were both eyeing him oddly.

Reaching the kitchen he opened the cabinet that he knew held the Jack Daniels that Merritt insisted on lugging around everywhere "just in case," now he was grateful for the mentalist's taste.

"Daniel." Her voice was decidedly less compassionate when she said his name the second time and he grimaced, reaching for the cleanest glass he could find and pouring a finger of the amber liquid into it. Setting the bottle down he turned to meet her intense stare. She frowned at him, arms crossed over her chest, hair falling loose over her shoulders in auburn waves.

"Henley." He said in his usual confident tone, meeting her gaze and swirling the whiskey around in his glass. Her gaze softened a bit as she looked at him, but her arms remained cross, her stance determined.

"Who was that you were talking to?" She didn't waver when she spoke and he raised his eyebrow, taking a long sip from his glass and relishing in the burn he felt slide down his throat.

"I don't see how that concerns you in the slightest." She scoffed at him, throwing her hands in the air,

"Danny, Jesus, I've never seen you act like that and I've known you for years!" Her eyes clouded over for a second and she shivered, "I've never heard your voice sound so cold." Anger flared up in his gut and his hand tightened around his glass,

"Well if you were ease dropping then you already know." Glaring at her he drained his glass and slammed it on the counter making her flinch.

"Come on Atlas, can't you see that she's worried about you?" Merritt appeared behind Henley's left shoulder. Scowling Daniel turned toward the counter behind him and picked up his glass, dropping it in the nearby sink, he couldn't be bothered with it just then. "We're so close to ending this thing, can't have you screwing it up now." Daniel's shoulders tensed and he wheeled around to face Merritt just in time to see Henley elbow him in the ribs. "Ow, alright, alright."

Merritt looked right at him and, with as much sincerity as he had ever heard from the man, spoke, "we care about you man, even if you are a pain in the ass." Daniel smiled chuckling. Even when he was being agreeable Merritt was still exasperating.

"Listen, I appreciate the concern but really I'm fine, it was nothing. My dad just wanted a favor and…we're not close so it was a bit awkward." Despite the nods he received he could tell they knew he was hiding something. He wondered briefly if any of them ever thought about the fact that he never talked about his family. They had all shared stories about their pasts, from family dinners to school fights to how they first got into magic, it was hard not to grow close while spending almost every waking moment together for a year. Even Jack had shared stories about his childhood, opening up first about his family and siblings, who he was very close to, to what it was like growing up. Those stories would come out late at night when they were all solemn and having discussions about things that mattered void of jokes or ribs, an experience that was surprisingly common all things considered.

During these talks Daniel would be the quietest, keeping his memories concerning his home life and getting by secret, only volunteering information about school or friends. He talked enough to ward off suspicion, but was selective with what he chose to say. Through precision and a few small lies he was able to keep the idea they had of him, a pompous no doubt spoiled kid from a rich family, in tact. Perfecting his character had taken years but now it was second nature to slip into it, even when he met people he would likely never see again, the pretending was easier when it felt less like lying and more like living.

Merritt nodded at him and jokingly raised a finger to his temple,

"Let me guess, the classic: dad works all day and doesn't pay attention to the kids scenario?" The sarcastic edge to his voice sounded a bit more questioning than usual and Daniel wondered if for once he was actually asking. Rolling his eyes he brushed past where Henley and him were still standing, heading towards the living room where Jack sat silently watching them.

He had just sat down on the biggest of the chairs trying to get comfortable despite the lumpy hard cushions beneath him. When Henley cursed looking at her phone, This was the part he wasn't looking forward to. They still had a lot to go but all of what was to come was going to be fun, or at the very least exciting. This however, this would be the opposite. He had never been a fan of close questioning when he had to keep the façade up constantly. It would be worse going up against the police, they were trained to spot deception. Luckily for him he had a lifetime of practice.

The handcuffs though, those would make it harder, almost indefinitely so. The feeling of them around his wrists would be distracting. Already he could feel them biting into his skin with a chilled cruelty and he quickly he pulled his long sweater further down his arms, its hem resting just past the first knuckle of his thumb.

Of course he didn't even know if they would question him at all, or how much. They had all planned out what they would say, what game they would each play with the cops and had practiced incessantly, mostly on his request. He knew the words he was supposed to say, he was just struggling with the conviction part.

"Freeze! Hands in the Air," instantly his mask, already in place, hardened, becoming near impenetrable. The game had begun.

It was easier than he had thought it would be to keep up the pretense, to pretend. At one point he thought Rhodes had him figured out when he said he could see through him, but that had just been a bluff, something he could easily throw off with the careless raise of an eyebrow. Now all there was left to do was wait to be released, because they would be released, there was no question about that, especially after his line about the FBI and Interpol believing in magic.

The door creaked open and he looked up startled when he saw Rhodes enter by himself, a manila folder clutched tightly in his hand.

"Hey Atlas, there are just a few more questions I have here for you and I was hoping you would be so kind as to answer them." Daniel raised his eyebrows and smirked, leaning back as far as the now reapplied handcuffs would let him. He tried to hide his apprehension; he wasn't prepared for this, already having used his best tricks. Rhodes seemed different now too, without the Interpol agent in tow, and exuding a confidence that was somehow more intense than the cocky aura he had emanating when he had first walked in.

"What happened to your lady friend? She was much more fun to talk to." Rhodes just smirked as he sat down, leaning back in his chair and opening the file slowly, eyes flicking from the page back up to him. Daniel tried not to flinch.

"You must have been a clumsy kid." Daniel frowned.

"Excuse me?" An itching started up underneath his skin and he tried to act like the words didn't sting him, didn't make him want to curl up into a ball. If he broke now there was no way there were getting out of these deceivingly depressing rooms, and both him and Rhodes knew it.

Rhodes's smirk just widened,

"I said you must have been a clumsy kid," he nodded down to the file in his hands, "to go to the hospital so often. What was it, eleven visits by the time you were from ages ten to eighteen? Must have been hard on your father, seeing that he was a single parent and all." The itching had turned into burning now, roasting him from his core. The handcuffs felt much tighter, the room much brighter, his shirt see through, the skin underneath exposed. He didn't allow himself to squirm.

"What can I say, I have many talents, but balance isn't one of them." The tightness in his voice wasn't too noticeable but he could tell that Rhodes caught it. This was why he needed endless hours of practice, because self-control only went so far. You can't completely stop the waver in your voice while crying no matter how hard you try. Rhodes just shook his head slowly, and leaned forward.

"You wanna know what I think?" Daniel just shrugged and sat back in the chair, as if distance would slow the words falling from the agents mouth, desperately trying to summon his remaining resolve to keep the mask firmly in place.

"I think that after your mom died, my condolences," the sincerity was lacking and Daniel tried to keep his fists from clenching, "he threw you around, probably an alcoholic, maybe something worse. I think he never really recovered from the murder."

Rhodes was looking very pleased with himself as he leaned further over the table, his eyes gleaming with excitement, "you used this magic gimmick as an escape, a trick to keep yourself from having to deal with your father, with the shittyness of everything. Then you found out you were kinda good, and used it as your ticket to escape." Daniel forced himself to yawn to try to perturb Rhodes from the rout he had taken, show his obvious disinterest, but the man just barreled on perhaps with even more gusto than before.

"You conned everyone into believing you had this perfect life and now your sitting here trying to fool me too, but guess what?" He leaned forward further so that his breath tickled the tip of Daniels nose and the magician leaned forward too, attempting to keep up the front a little while longer while the memories he had always worked to keep at bay tried to force themselves into the forefront of his mind, "I'm on to you and no matter how long it takes I will crack you, because your childhood may have been fucked up, but no one's above the law."

Smirking Daniel leaned back and cocked his head to the side,

"That's a great story detective, and I'm sure that your buddies over in your improve class will love it," he settled himself back in his chair, hands palms down on the table, smirk firmly in place, "but nothing could be further from the truth." He smiled and patted the detective on the hand, safe in the knowledge that Rhodes didn't know, not really.

Rhodes just shook his head and stood up, left hand lingering on the file.

"It's impressive this act of yours, I'll give you that. If I wasn't staring at a file full of evidence I would almost believe you." Daniel just smiled and folded his hands the best he could trying to calm the clawing hands that were destroying his insides, fighting off the chills that were trying to overtake him. Memories were always laced with poison and he couldn't afford to let himself fall prey to them here where he couldn't fall apart.

"What you believe is up to you but it doesn't change the truth." Daniel said, immediately regretting it when Rhodes barked a laugh eyes sharp and cold,

"That's sure as hell true." Pausing for a moment he seems to consider something before his eyes flash, "The other horsemen don't know do they?"

"As I am not in the habit of weaving tall tales..." Trailing off Daniel instantly knew it was the wrong thing to say. Rhodes had ammunition now, something to throw the others off, make them question him and create group conflict, making them easier to catch, because both he and Rhodes know that the Horseman will be out in a matter of hours.

In the end it didn't matter that Rhodes was off on his guess; so far off it was almost laughable, all that mattered was that the others would believe it. Already he could picture Merritt, Henley and Jack eating it up, connecting the dots to form the wrong picture. They would make it out of the police questioning but Daniel wouldn't leave the interrogation room.

"If it's all the same to you I think I'll let them draw their own conclusions." Daniel was losing the game now; all his cards already played leaving Rhodes all the ammunition. He tapped his fingers on the table and swallowed pulling out the last resort.

"Think of a number agent." Rhodes just smiled as he stood up and pulled the file back towards himself. "From one to ten."

"I've had enough of your careless misdirection's." Daniel felt his heart sink as his last hope was dashed, he watched as Rhodes gave a mock salute before opening the door and leaving.

"Four." He called out after him and felt his spirits rise a little as the agent frowned, at least he had unnerved him a bit, it never hurt to try to get your opponent off their game even just a little.

Daniel wanted to slump back into his chair, to let the mask slip for a moment but he couldn't, the chance that agents were just outside staring at him through the one-way glass kept him stoic, kept him stone. Instead, he yawned and leaned back a little in his chair. He allowed himself a small smile; it was in keeping with his cocky unconcerned bastard persona, the one he had worked so hard to formulate, the one that he clung to like it was the only life preserver in a storm.

They were released within the hour, as predicted, and drove back to the hotel surrounded by a happy buzz. Daniel remained on edge, kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, but as time wore on and the evening swiftly approached he grew less wary. His guard slowly lowered and he allowed himself to relax a little, letting a genuine smile slide onto his face. Maybe Rhodes had just been trying to get in his head, had given up the tactic when Daniel had seemed unconcerned. If Henley had heard anything she would be relentless in her pursuit of the truth. He was pretty sure Merritt would have brought it up already to throw him at some point, use it as a way to squirm inside his head and try to give hand out some of his ten dollar "therapy," and Jack…well Jack he wasn't sure about.

The young magician was the friendliest of the four and was often brushed to the side as a result of it, well, that and his age. Daniel himself was probably the guiltiest of pushing him to the side, something he should really be trying harder to stop, even if it wasn't in keeping with his persona. It wasn't fair to young magician to be continuously deflected and ignored as he was really quite good, and could pull off every street trick Daniel knew but would never admit to being able to pull off. There was a slight difference to the slight of hand that a street born magician practiced, one he was sure Henley and Merritt couldn't quite pull off.

Jack would most likely blurt it out at some random time as he didn't quite seem to know when it would be most appropriate to bring up more sensitive issues, as was obvious by his past failed attempts to get Daniel to increase his role in shows, though again that wasn't really Jack's fault.

None of them knew, that was it, had to be, otherwise someone would have mentioned something already, they wouldn't be this normal. Daniel sighed and flipped the page of the novel he was reading, a psychology book he had started in an attempt to one up Merritt. Now however, he was more interested in the emergence of morals than analyzing his fellow magician's technique, to be fair he had most definitely chosen the wrong book for achieving his goal to begin with.

"Daniel," looking up from the deck of cards he was nervously shuffling in his hands, a habit he had yet to break, he met Merritt's eyes, "you alright there? You're looking a bit pale." The mentalist was staring at him with his usual intensity, eyes boring into his skull.

The cards settled on his lap as he stilled his hands,

"I'm touched by the sentiment but I'm just thinking. A foreign concept to you I'm sure, but one quite common place for most." Daniel could almost feel Henley's eye roll from where she sat opposite Merritt. Merritt raised his hands in a gesture of surrender,

"Down boy." Daniel scoffed and started to twirl the cards again, the sound of the glossed papers hitting against each other calming his nerves in a way that nothing else could. He could still feel the heat of a gaze on him, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Jerking his head up he caught Jack's eye, the youngest of the group was sitting a few seats down, but was staring right at him. For a moment he thought it was nothing more than the idol worship he had been treated to for several weeks when they first met, until Henley had kindly reminded Jack that he was just as good a magician as the rest of them or he wouldn't be there so stop trailing after Atlas like a puppy, but the severity of the stare made him think something else was prompting the scrutiny.

Clearing his throat Daniel settled his face into a look of subtle annoyance before starting to speak, he needed to be in control, it was the only thing that kept him safe.

"What." His tone was brusque and uninviting but that was the point, intimidation was always a good technique whether it was with tone, knowledge, or physicality.

Jack seemed a little startled by his intensity and he readjusted, looking down, before mumbling his answer just load enough for Daniel and the other Horsemen to hear,

"Just thinking about something the detective said." Daniel felt himself tense, knuckles going white as he gripped the cards in hands tight enough that the edges bit into his palms painfully. Jack wouldn't meet his eyes now and he wondered if that was from his previous harshness or something else. Just as he opened his mouth to ask just what Jack was referring too Henley clapped her hands together excitedly and turned so that she was facing the isle.

"Oh yes we didn't even talk about it. Lets get some stories going!" From the way her eyes were gleaming he figured she'd given Rhodes a run for his money, maybe even the Interpol agent too.

Merritt smiled, the smile that always made Daniel grind his teeth together, the one that screamed I'm-better-than-you, and tipped his hat back on his head,

"I don't know about you all but my interrogation went better than the rehearsal." The smug smile stayed firmly in place, "Guy has some major daddy issues and the girl was secretive, honestly I'd be surprised if they weren't already fighting. There was enough tension in the room before I started working my magic," he wiggled his eyebrows and winked at Jack who chuckled good naturedly, "I bet they're at each other's throats right now." Merritt glanced over at him and Daniel gave the other man the smile he was looking for even though he felt slightly sick from the butterflies slamming into the walls of his stomach.

Henley flashed her teeth in a smile that was almost predatory, "I put them in quite the uncomfortable situation myself, they barely stayed in my room for two minutes." Daniel forced a stale sounding chuckle from his lips, which even he winced at. The focus immediately snapped to him and Henley raised her eyebrow, as if challenging him to do better.

"I stuck to what we rehearsed, you all basically owe our release to me you know." Merritt sneered and Henley offered up a surprised laugh while Jack shook his head.

"Loosen up Atlas, you know they would have released us without your little line about the FBI believing in magic if we were charged." Merritt looked bemused, "Besides if you go through life with a stick up your ass you can't really enjoy yourself, savor the victories." He gestured around to the private jet they were sitting in, courtesy of Arnold(look up his name), and looked at Daniel expectantly.

Before he could respond Henley had interjected,

"Alright boys enough, let Jack have a go, you two are boring anyway." She fixed her bright hazel(?) eyes on him and ignored the two of them. Jack's expression flickered before he leaned back in his seat and shrugged,

"Nothing much to say, they barely even spoke to me and I didn't have much of a chance to get under there skin," he shrugged seemingly unconcerned, though his eyes kept flicking over to where Daniel sat stiff in his chair, "at one point Rhodes came back in by himself and started to say something," this time when Jack's eyes flicked toward him they paused and Daniel heard blood roaring past his ears. He felt as though flames where lapping at his thighs, he was burning up but somehow, despite his turtleneck sweater and long kakis, still too exposed. Jack's eyes left his own, "but before he could another agent came in and made him leave. That was when they were running out of time and their superiors were getting antsy." Jack turned toward him, "I guess your line about the FBI and magic worked on some level." Henley cackled and Merritt grumbled, tipping his hat so that it shadowed his face. Daniel plastered on a smug smirk even though Jack had sounded more placating then complementary. Something in the way Jack studied him, his eyes lingering a bit too long on his face till he went back to staring out the window as he had been before, told him that Jack wasn't quite ready to drop the subject of the interrogation.

Daniel allowed himself to relax, now that the immediate threat had passed he could feel himself start to unwind. The tension practically dripped out of his fingers as he slumped back in his seat, allowing his neck to loll against the headrest and his fingers to lazily dance around the cards in his lap. The heat that had been searing him just moments ago vanished. He felt safe, or at least as safe as he could feel constantly having to maintain his image, his character. His past was still in the past and he could allow himself a moment to let his guard down, just a little. Yes Jack knew something, but it couldn't be much or he would have brought it up sooner, and whatever it was it wasn't the truth so he could always deny it's relevance without lying, and without revealing anything too important. Henley and Merritt were still conveniently in the dark and he planned on keeping them there, so any future conversation with Jack would have to be in private, he didn't need Merritt trying to pry into his life, and his head, more than he did already.

Confronting Jack before the young magician had a chance to corner him seemed like the best plan of action; he could be more in control of the situation if he was the one who initiated it. That way he wouldn't be caught off guard and would have the advantage of a planned out method of attack. He didn't want to involve Merritt or Henley, meaning that he needed to have the conversation in a private place or when they weren't around because they would butt their way in like always, which would be difficult in it of itself because they all kept rather close quarters to limit expenses and keep a low profile.

The beginnings of a headache were starting right behind his eyes and he rubbed at them absentmindedly too tired to attempt anything more. The days stress was beginning to take a toll on him, making him feel sluggish and tired, as if the whole world was just slightly out of focus. He took deep breaths, concentrating on his breathing to help lull him to sleep.

A hand on his shoulder caused him to sit bolt up right almost knocking his head against Jack's. Jack looked rather surprised himself, pulling his hand back as though he hand been burned and frowning a little, eyebrows drawing in as he gave him a genuine look of concern. Daniel smiled tightly and rubbed at his eyes, the headache that had been brewing hitting him hard.

"Sorry," Jack rubbed at his neck fretfully and Daniel had to fight the urge to roll his eyes, "I just, I wanted to talk to you and the others are asleep," he gestured vaguely over his shoulder to where Henley and Merritt were reclining, "and, well, you never sleep on planes so I figured you were just really relaxed or something-"

Daniel held up his hand to silence Jack's babbling, distantly he felt a spark of guilt at his flippant treatment of his fellow Horseman, but his headache pushed down any urge to act on the feeling.

"It's fine, what did you want?" He tried to keep his tone neutral as he kneaded his temple with one hand while gesturing for Jack to sit with the other. Daniel watched as Jack sank into the chair opposite him, fiddling with his trademark leather(?) jacket and worrying his lip.

"When I was in the interrogation room agent Rhodes said-" Jack started raising his eyes to meet Daniel's own when Daniel cut him off,

"Listen, police tend to do whatever they can to worm their way under your skin and unnerve you. I'm sure whatever Rhodes said was just to set you off balance." Jack furrowed his brow and started to shake his head,

"No I know that it's just that I thought-" Daniel swallowed running his fingers through his hair and trying to keep himself from succumbing to the all to familiar panic that was beginning to climb its way up his throat. Guilt blossomed within him as an idea picked its way into his brain, and he forced himself to stay in the passively engaged state that he was currently projecting as he spat out the words he knew would shut Jack up,

"I might have expected this from the others but honestly Jack, someone with your background should already know how these types of things work." Instantly Jack's jaw snapped shut and Daniel saw hurt flash across his eyes before he was able to rein in his emotions and stuff the pain somewhere invisible to the onlooker. His whole body stiffened and Daniel could see the muscles of his jaw working under his skin. The blank expression on his friends face cut Daniel deeper than he thought it would and he dug his nails into the palms of his hands to force himself to keep up his snarky cruel persona. It wasn't fair that he was hurting Jack like this just to protect himself, the kid had no doubt been through enough. His conscience was yelling at him to apologize, to beg for forgiveness, come clean, do something. The hammering in his head increased and his headache caused a ringing in his ears, just as it was becoming to much, as the guilt had reached his mouth, Jack stood up.

"Yeah, your right. It was stupid, there's no way what he said could have been true. I should have known better." The words were icy blades, stabbing at Daniel and tearing at his skin. A grimace that couldn't possibly pass as a smile crossed his face but luckily Jack had already turned and started to make his way back to his seat. He allowed himself to breathe, exhaling in a long sigh as he leaned back against his seat. Silently he hoped that he hadn't just blown any chance he'd had at getting closer to Jack, the young man certainly had a lot to offer and he thought that giving him a support system he could fall back on might help him open up. Though, he supposed he wasn't one to be talking about opening up judging by the interaction he'd just had.

Groaning he drummed his fingers against the arm rests of his seats, they should be landing soon, he felt as though they had been in the air for hours, and then he could buy some Advil and pass out. He just needed to rest, sleep of the strain of the day, and he would be fine, he would have to be, there was still so much to be done and none of them could afford it if he started to slip up. Besides, by tomorrow they'd be busy rehearsing or staying a step ahead of the police and the whole interaction would be forgotten, or at the very least pushed to the back burner for a while.

It had only gotten more hectic since that day in interrogation and the Horseman were exhausted. They were all enjoying a rare moment of down time in a dingy apartment in New York. Jack's "death" had been extremely draining they were all lounging in the living room, sprawled out on chairs, the couch, and the floor in Merritt's case. They had a few hours before they needed to pull their final stunt and everyone was grateful for the respite, however momentary.

Already they had filmed the speech they were to post regarding the faked death, and all the other necessary pieces were already in place. All that was left to do was show up and complete the final show, hopefully resulting in their initiation into the Eye. It was a bit sentimental, Daniel supposed, this was one of their final moments as the Four Horseman, they might not be together like this for quite some time seeing as after the final show their instructions all but disappeared. He was unsure of the other's thoughts regarding what to do after they were finally done, but if the Eye turned out to be some kind of hoax or they were all rejected he wasn't sure what he would do. He had grown rather found of his fellow magicians, even Merritt, though he would never admit it, and if all else failed he thought it might be nice to stay in their company, or at least stay in touch.

The silence in the room was rather relaxing and, besides the typical noises of the New York City streets, nothing made a sound, allowing each of them to be absorbed in their own thoughts.

The phone ringing made him jump, cutting through the silence with a piercing clarity that made him wince. Merritt grumbled to himself and Henley kicked at his shin from where she was lying on the other side of the couch. He grimaced and pulled his foot away, rubbing at it ruefully. He caught Jack's eye as he dug the infernal machine out of his pocket and frowned at the smirk he saw on the young man's face.

Annoyed he glanced at the caller ID and instantly stiffened, sitting straight up and pushing himself off the couch. Quickly, taking long strides he walked into one of the only other separate room, besides the bathroom, the one bedroom that they had deposited their stuff in. They wouldn't be here long enough to sleep so it had just turned into an oversized closet. Closing the door behind him he allowed himself a moment to collect his thoughts. The shrill tone of the ringer continued and he squeezed his eyes shut before exhaling tiredly and answering the call.

"Hello." It was quick and cold, uninviting, the tone of someone who would much rather be doing something else.

"Hey there boyo." No amount of preparation could keep him from tensing when he heard the gruff, unforgiving voice of his father coming through the speakers of his phone.

"What do you want?" He always wanted something. That was the only reason he called anymore, which was just fine with Daniel. He would have cut off all contact with the man years ago but he couldn't bear the thought of having no family left, none that he knew anyway, even if he hated the man. The thought of having absolutely no one was too much for him. So he made sure his dad had his number and would answer when he called, most of the time.

"What, I can't just call you to check up on ya? I haven't seen you in years, the least you could do is give me a call now and then." Someone shouted in the background of the call and Daniel frowned, through the jumble of noises coming through the phone he could make out the sound of a TV.

Sighing he pinched the bridge of his nose,

"You're in a bar, aren't you?" It figures, the man was probably well into his fourth or fifth drink and had called his son because of some sort of long lost sentiment.

"Nah, don't you worry about where your old man is. I'm at home."

"Right, of course." Daniel slumped further against the door, talking to his dad always put a strain on him, made it harder to fend of his demons. It wasn't made harder by the fact that the others where probably trying to listen in, or at the very least trying to deduce who he might be talking to.

A heavy silence occupied the line as neither of them spoke.

"So how have ya been? Missed me any?" A wave of exhaustion overtook him; he didn't have the energy needed to keep up the conversation. Their last show was that night and the day had been long enough already,

"Come on dad, we don't do this. Why are you calling, really?" His father audibly swallowed on the other end of the line and Daniel knew he was about to come clean.

"Listen, I've ah, I've run into a bit of trouble over here," there it was, of course, it was always the same. _Hi how are you, do you still have that necklace of your mothers? Can you lend me a couple hundred? I'm short on rent. Eddie needs someone to pick his niece from the airport and I know your in the area, could you do it? I owe him a favor and it would really help me out_ , "and I was wondering if you could lend me some money?" His voice grew coarser and Daniel could only assume the alcohol was making him antsy.

"For what?" Already he was calculating how much money he could reasonably give to his father without ruining the stable nature of his bank account that he had worked hard to achieve.

"I just…I made a few bad calls is all and now I owe Samson a couple thousand." There was a pause and he heard a load sigh, "I'm short twelve grand."

Daniel couldn't help it he actually laughed at that, a harsh grating sound that sounded more mocking than amused. There was no way he could give his father that much money. He hadn't exactly been making much while planning and executing the shows and, while they had been provided with money to carry everything out and had all chipped in for food, he didn't exactly have a huge surplus in his account. Though, it was doubtful he could spare that much on a good day anyway.

"There's no way, I'm sorry but I can't." His voice was softer than it had been before, and he chewed his lip, "But dad, Samson? Really? It couldn't have been anyone else?"

His father's voice lowered into almost a growl,

"I know, do you think I don't know? I know how bad it is. Fuck, do you think I would be calling you if I had to?" He wished he could say it didn't sting, that he didn't wince at his father's words, but they still wormed their way under his skin making him hunch over and pull his sweater lower over his wrists.

"Look I won't bother you again for awhile, I'll stay away from ya like I know you want me to, just _please_ , this is all I'm asking for." The desperation caused his voice to crack and Daniel bit his lip in sympathy. He felt slightly nauseous. Samson was a bad egg, one of the worst, owing a debt to him was not something you wanted to do if you weren't found of hospitals and bankruptcy.

"I just don't have it," fatigue caused his bones to ache and he tilted his head back to rest on the solid rough surface of the door behind him, staring up at the chipping once white paint on the ceiling. "I want to help, I really do but I can't afford it." His voice was kinder than it had been when talking to his father in years, more compassionate than he would have thought possible.

"Well what the fuck use are you then!" Came the bellowed reply. Fury laced his words and Daniel flinched back from his phone instinctually. "I mean… Jesus, you leave to find a 'better life' but you haven't done shit, have you? I mean if you can't even spot me a couple thousand— _me,_ the one that fucking raised you from fucking birth, then why did I keep you around all those years?" His voice grew louder with each word till Daniel had to hold the phone a little ways from his ear. He felt himself shrinking as his dad continued to scream into the phone. The familiar feeling of obligation pricked at his skin and he felt himself slipping back into the poisonous mindset he had carried as a teenager.

"Dad," his voice sounded small even to his own ears, "I guess I could help out, not with the whole thing but maybe with some-"

His father cut him off, scratchy voice load and demanding in his ear,

"You don't get it, I need it now! Goddamn it, you were my last fucking resort!" Swallowing loudly his voice suddenly dropped into his familiar stern tone, "listen son, I'm sorry for all of this, I shouldn't 've bothered you." The sluggishness in his voice was unlike anything Daniel had ever heard from the man and it sent a bolt of fear down his back.

"Bye, son." Abruptly the phone disconnected and he blinked, mouth still open with the question that had been on the tip of his tongue poised for release, _will you be all right?_ Shaking his head to clear it, he pushed down the feeling of unease that had slowly started to creep over him till it shrouded him like a cloak. He turned, shoving the phone into his pocket, and grabbing the cold metal of the door handle. Pausing for a moment he took a deep breath, thumping his forehead against the door and squeezing his eyes shut. He waited until he could easily call the smug expression he always wore to the surface, then twisted the knob to the right and pushed open the door.

Henley leaned on the wall opposite him, obviously waiting for him to exit the bedroom. She wore a look of curiosity and caught his eyes as soon as he stepped through the doorway. Running his fingers through his hair he tore his eyes away from hers and turned towards the kitchen, he needed a good drink.

"Daniel." She was somehow kind and imposing at the same time and he sighed, waving his hand vaguely in her direction as he passed by Merritt and Jack in the living room who were both eyeing him oddly.

Reaching the kitchen he opened the cabinet that he knew held the Jack Daniels that Merritt insisted on lugging around everywhere "just in case," now he was grateful for the mentalist's taste.

"Daniel." Her voice was decidedly less compassionate when she said his name the second time and he grimaced, reaching for the cleanest glass he could find and pouring a finger of the amber liquid into it. Setting the bottle down he turned to meet her intense stare. She frowned at him, arms crossed over her chest, hair falling loose over her shoulders in auburn waves.

"Henley." He said in his usual confident tone, meeting her gaze and swirling the whiskey around in his glass. Her gaze softened a bit as she looked at him, but her arms remained cross, her stance determined.

"Who was that you were talking to?" She didn't waver when she spoke and he raised his eyebrow, taking a long sip from his glass and relishing in the burn he felt slide down his throat.

"I don't see how that concerns you in the slightest." She scoffed at him, throwing her hands in the air,

"Danny, Jesus, I've never seen you act like that and I've known you for years!" Her eyes clouded over for a second and she shivered, "I've never heard your voice sound so cold." Anger flared up in his gut and his hand tightened around his glass,

"Well if you were ease dropping then you already know." Glaring at her he drained his glass and slammed it on the counter making her flinch.

"Come on Atlas, can't you see that she's worried about you?" Merritt appeared behind Henley's left shoulder. Scowling Daniel turned toward the counter behind him and picked up his glass, dropping it in the nearby sink, he couldn't be bothered with it just then. "We're so close to ending this thing, can't have you screwing it up now." Daniel's shoulders tensed and he wheeled around to face Merritt just in time to see Henley elbow him in the ribs. "Ow, alright, alright."

Merritt looked right at him and, with as much sincerity as he had ever heard from the man, spoke, "we care about you man, even if you are a pain in the ass." Daniel smiled chuckling. Even when he was being agreeable Merritt was still exasperating.

"Listen, I appreciate the concern but really I'm fine, it was nothing. My dad just wanted a favor and…we're not close so it was a bit awkward." Despite the nods he received he could tell they knew he was hiding something. He wondered briefly if any of them ever thought about the fact that he never talked about his family. They had all shared stories about their pasts, from family dinners to school fights to how they first got into magic, it was hard not to grow close while spending almost every waking moment together for a year. Even Jack had shared stories about his childhood, opening up first about his family and siblings, who he was very close to, to what it was like growing up. Those stories would come out late at night when they were all solemn and having discussions about things that mattered void of jokes or ribs, an experience that was surprisingly common all things considered.

During these talks Daniel would be the quietest, keeping his memories concerning his home life and getting by secret, only volunteering information about school or friends. He talked enough to ward off suspicion, but was selective with what he chose to say. Through precision and a few small lies he was able to keep the idea they had of him, a pompous no doubt spoiled kid from a rich family, in tact. Perfecting his character had taken years but now it was second nature to slip into it, even when he met people he would likely never see again, the pretending was easier when it felt less like lying and more like living.

Merritt nodded at him and jokingly raised a finger to his temple,

"Let me guess, the classic: dad works all day and doesn't pay attention to the kids scenario?" The sarcastic edge to his voice sounded a bit more questioning than usual and Daniel wondered if for once he was actually asking. Rolling his eyes he brushed past where Henley and him were still standing, heading towards the living room where Jack sat silently watching them.

He had just sat down on the biggest of the chairs trying to get comfortable despite the lumpy hard cushions beneath him. When Henley cursed looking at her phone,

"We have to go, the trains are running with major delays and we won't stand a chance of making it there on time if we don't head out now." She looked up at him and he nodded, the irritation he felt echoed in the expression on her face. Glancing at Jack he stood up,

"Meet you after like we planned?" The dark haired boy nodded and gave him a thumbs up, rearranging himself on the couch so that he took up almost the entire thing. Daniel smiled ruefully wishing that he too could lie down and walked over to where Henley stood. At least he would have to focus on something else for a while and wouldn't be able to think about his dad or Samson. Distraction was perhaps his favorite thing about magic, not only the misdirection necessary to preform interesting tricks but also the state of mind he was in. It was perhaps the only time when he let his mask slip when others were around and it was…freeing.

"We have to go, the trains are running with major delays and we won't stand a chance of making it there on time if we don't head out now." She looked up at him and he nodded, the irritation he felt echoed in the expression on her face. Glancing at Jack he stood up,

"Meet you after like we planned?" The dark haired boy nodded and gave him a thumbs up, rearranging himself on the couch so that he took up almost the entire thing. Daniel smiled ruefully wishing that he too could lie down and walked over to where Henley stood. At least he would have to focus on something else for a while and wouldn't be able to think about his dad or Samson. Distraction was perhaps his favorite thing about magic, not only the misdirection necessary to preform interesting tricks but also the state of mind he was in. It was perhaps the only time when he let his mask slip when others were around and it was…freeing.


	2. Chapter 2

The unbridled joy that was ripping through him radiated out from his skin and he smiled so wide he thought his lip might split. Henley's hand was in his own still and she was laughing as he all but dragged her up the stairs to where their stuff was waiting in the apartment. All their hard work had finally, spectacularly paid off, and all of them were floating. They had made it, been accepted into the Eye. Daniel was too delighted to even worry about the implications of Rhodes being the one to initiate them.

Taking the stairs two at a time Daniel could feel the adrenaline pumping through his veins. Somewhere bellow him he heard Jack's load laugh and Merritt's cackle. He could feel the warmth radiating from Henley behind him and everything felt surreal, it was perfect.

Reaching the door he fumbled with drawing the key from his pocket with one hand and felt more than heard Henley chuckle. Grinning at her he placed the key in the lock, have listening to the sound of the tumblers falling into place and half staring at the warm glow emanating from Henley's cheeks. She squeezed his hand as he opened the door and his eyes shone with pure bliss. Turning around to face the now open doorway he froze, tension instantly flooding his body and chilling his core. Henley, noticing the drastic change, stepped forward, nudging her way inside. Instantly she gasped, dropping her hand to cover her mouth.

The small apartment had been thoroughly trashed. Their things, formally occupying one room, were strewn across the floor haphazardly. A deck of cards was scattered a few feet away from the tip of Daniel's shoe, and a lone sock sat crinkled up next to the doorway.

"God what happened?" Merritt, just arriving at the door with Jack close behind, echoed his thoughts and he shrugged. If Rhodes hadn't promised him minutes before that the needn't fear FBI interference, a feat he didn't question no matter how suspicious of it he was, he would assume that the cops had raided the apartment. Now however he was unsure what to make of the state of their things. It was especially odd seeing as they weren't in the space for long at all, in fact they were just getting their stuff so that they could leave and head to an address Rhodes had given them upon their arrival to the carousel.

A noise from deeper within the small flat caused them all to still. It had sounded like a footstep. Again they heard the thump and Daniel took a small step back, attempting to push Henley out of the doorway.

There was a small hallway in front of them containing two doors, the one to the bathroom and bedroom. One could see part of the kitchen from the hall, but in order to reach most of the living room you had to round the corner. The noise was coming from just out of sight around the corner at the end of the short hall.

Glancing behind him he saw that Merritt was biting his lip and Jack was frowning, tense, with his hand deep in his pocket in a way which made Daniel think he would pull out a knife if there turned out to be a person still in their flat. Henley's face was surprisingly blank although her eyes were darting back and forth, the only outward sign of her nervousness.

The noise sounded again and Henley's eyes widened causing Daniel to whip back around so quickly that his neck twinged in protest. A man had just rounded the corner. He was tall, with large muscled shoulders visible through his black windbreaker and dark hair cut short. A short stubby beard grew over sun kissed skin and his hazel eyes held nothing but cruelty. He snarled at them when he saw them, squaring his shoulders and drawing out a gun from the waistband of his jeans quickly in way that is only mastered through practice.

Daniel, too busy taking in the man, didn't even realize Jack was nudging up next to him until the man's gun was pointed at the youngest.

"Listen man, I don't know what you're looking for here but I can assure you, you won't find it. We don't have any drugs or money in the apartment, but if you leave now we won't call the cops." Daniel flicked his eyes over to Jack, surprised by how even his voice was. His hands were up in a placating gesture, palms out and flat.

The man just looked the boy up and down before grunting and turning to point the gun at Daniel. Quickly, he threw his own hands up in the air, locking his eyes onto the man and ignoring the way he could feel Jack's eyes boring into him.

"Samson wants the money." He was speaking directly to Daniel and he shuddered, quickly growing cold when he realized the severity of the situation. He tried to keep his voice even, hard as stone when he replied,

"I don't have it." Two more sets of eyes drilled into him as Merritt and Henley realized who the man was talking to.

Across from him the man just raised a black bushy eyebrow at him, snarling a little, that wasn't an answer he was used to hearing. The click of the gun's safety being turned off sounded sound in the tense air and Daniel swallowed, trying to look unperturbed.

"It's not my debt, I can't pay it." It was a little less powerful then he wanted it to be, but his voice didn't waver and for that at least he was grateful. The man chuckled and drew something out of his pocket, throwing it towards him,

"Now it is." Catching the thing out of midair he had to fight not to throw up. Behind him he heard Henley gasp and Merritt gag, Jack looked like he was going to be sick next to him.

In his hand he held a bloody stump of a finger. It was cold and rough, blood caked and dried where it used to attach to a hand and crimson drops sprinkled down its length. It was substantially long and Daniel assumed it must be a pointer finger, one of two that would have been taken from his father when it was made known that he couldn't pay his debt. It was rare but he had heard of it happening, and judging by the finger in his hand, Samson meant business. Sometimes when someone couldn't pay their debts they could transfer the misfortune onto someone else, but not before losing two fingers and most likely being beaten to a bloody pulp. The transfer wasn't always permanent, if the other individual couldn't pay either, they would be killed or maimed and the debt would transfer back to the original. Samson had used the method more often then he cared to remember and Daniel knew that he would have no qualms about killing both him and his father in search of the money he was owed.

"Is he dead?" It was an appropriate question, if he was dead that would mean he couldn't pay the debt and Daniel would have too, or risk pain coming to him and most likely his companions standing around him. If he wasn't dead… well then Daniel was still responsible for paying the debt, but he could probably get away with paying the amount his father had been short.

The man shook his head and Daniel let out a breath he hadn't known he had been holding. No matter how much he hated the man, no matter how furious he was that he would pass the debt onto his only son, he didn't want him dead. Nodding, he clutched the finger tighter in his hands.

"How did you find me?" Daniel asked, half out of curiosity, half to buy more time. The man smiled, a shark like grin that was all teeth, and answered in a callous tone,

"Your father wasn't lying when he said he wasn't calling from a bar." The anger that had been simmering threatened to explode as he let the man's words sink in. He had been planning this the whole time, had kept him on the line so that Samson's goons could find him, it made sense now how they were able to get there so quickly and it made his blood boil. Clenching his jaw he cursed himself for falling for the old man's tricks, he should have known he would try to pull one over on him.

"How long do I have?" Rage still flowed through him and the question sounded harsher than he'd meant it to.

"How long? Samson wants it now," the goon's grin turned monstrous, "but if you use that mouth I've heard so much about, I might rethink it." Shame rose from the pit of his stomach and he was just barely able to keep himself from reddening. Instead he hardened his eyes and ignored the looks his friends wore on their faces.

"Two days, I can have it for him by then." He doubted the validity of the statement but he knew asking for longer would be pointless.

The man just smirked and raised his eyebrows,

"What's gonna make that worth my while?" Daniel felt sick to his stomach but he smiled sweetly and tucked the finger into his back pocket while taking a step forward. He brushed past Jack, dipping his hand into the younger magician's pocket and pulling out the knife he kept there. Sauntering over to where the man stood he flipped the knife open behind his back and smiled coyly before placing one hand lightly on the mans bicep and leaning in closer. He went up on his toes a bit so that he was almost as tall as the man, who was about an inch and a half taller than him, and licked his lips slowly. The man smirked at him, eyes hungry and Daniel smiled, pushing the man's arm holding the gun down a little before bringing the knife in his hand up to rest underneath the man's jugular in the blink of an eye.

"Because if you don't I'll slit your throat." He kept the smile on his face as he pressed the knife into the man's skin, pricking it and causing a drop of blood to well to the surface, eventually making a slow trail down his neck. Out of the corner of his eye Daniel could see the astonishment on his friends faces. Their gazes felt heavy on his skin but he didn't allow himself to get caught up on the ramifications of his actions, it was all about surviving the moment now. Fudging his way through it until he reached the other side, he was used to it, even if he hadn't operated like that in years. It was why he cherished control, because he was so without it in situations like these. In this case it was purely a game of bluffing, who could pretend better.

"And we both know that Samson won't even blink, he'll just send someone else and I'll negotiate with them." He leaned in a little closer to the man so that he was all but touching his ear, breath hitting his skin, "go on, make my day, refuse." His stomach churned as he locked eyes with the man, smirking and hoping he couldn't see through the front to the anxiety that was lurking right below the surface.

Slowly, the man flicked the safety back on his gun, curved his arm back around to tuck it back into his waistband. His eyes stayed focused on Daniel as his arms went lax by his side, his eyes flashed darkly and he spoke with a voice full of suppressed anger,

"You've got two days. We'll contact you." Daniel nodded and slowly lowered the knife from the other mans neck, taking a step back.

The glare the man gave him was piercing and he had to fight hard to keep from shrinking back. Turning away from him the man stormed down the hallway, pushing past Jack Henley and Merritt and spitting in the doorway before grabbing the door and slamming it shut. Daniel flinched a little at the loud sound and listened, still poised with the knife gripped tightly in his hand, until he heard the sound of the man's angry grumbling and footsteps faded away down the stairs.

Stepping back he felt his back hit the wall and slumped against it, taking a deep breath and massaging his temples, eyes firmly shut. It was silent for a moment, the creaking of the old building the only thing to be heard in the stale still air.

"What the _fuck_?" Merritt was the first to break the silence, voice brisk and astonished. "Does someone want to explain to me what just happened?" Henley scoffed, her voice hard as diamonds when she spoke,

"I don't know Merritt, why don't you ask Danny, he seems to know a lot of things that he hasn't cared to share with us." He flinched at her words and rubbed his hand down his face harshly, trying to summon the will to stand and face them; he supposed he owed them some form of explanation.

"Henley, give him a break." Jack's voice was surprising calm and Daniel opened his eyes, catching the look the youngest wore on his face, one of worry.

"You can't be serious Jack! Did you see that just now? He almost fucking cut that mans throat!" Henley all but screamed the last past of her sentence, eyes blazing, finger pointing accusingly right at him. Slowly Daniel pushed himself up from his spot against the wall, groaning slightly.

"I was never going to hurt him, it was just a matter of making him think that I would." Henley rolled her eyes, attention now zeroed in on him,

"Oh well in that case." She stepped forward towards him hands clenching and unclenching at her sides.

"Listen," Daniel ran a hand through his hair and, realizing that the knife was still clenched tightly in his hand, flicked the blade closed, "I know that your upset, I would be too, and I promise I'll explain, but I can't do that if you're screaming at me." Henley studied him for a moment before folding her arms and nodding with grudging acceptance. Sighing Daniel turned and gestured vaguely over his shoulder for the others to follow.

The living room was a mess; the couch was flipped on its back and the cushions strewn across the room. Items of clothing and random objects from their bags littered around the floor, the pitcher of water Henley had left on the kitchen counter had somehow made its way to the center of the floor, a large wet spot encircling it. Daniel gingerly picked his way through the mess, to weary to even begin to clean up the small space.

Reaching the couch, he placed his hand on the edge, waiting for Merritt to grab the back before pushing down and righting the couch with a grunt. Grabbing the nearest cushion he dropped it onto one side and sank down exhaling smoothly. He watched as the others quietly went about finding places to sit, Merritt on the couch a little further down, Jack on a wooden chair that was looking a little wobbly, and Henley on the old recliner across the room from where Daniel himself sat. The chair had long sense stopped working and its lumpy cushions made it uncomfortable to sit on for long period of time.

"So," Merritt prompted his voice now returned to its normal snarky quality, "Danny boy you've got us on the edge of our seat, care to share?" One eyebrow raised Merritt leaned back a bit, one arm slung over the back of the couch, a little too focused in on Daniel for his seemingly careless demeanor.

Taking a deep breath Daniel straightened a little in his seat, pulling the sleeves of his sweater down and trying to calm the furious beating of his heart.

"I assume that you all now realize I've…omitted things when discussing my past." Henley chuckled humorously,

"More like you convinced us you were a different person." Frowning Daniel cocked his head to the side and drummed his fingers against the arm of the couch,

"Well, yes I suppose in a way I did but really, you just made assumptions based on the way I acted. Any ideas about my background were your own."

"Oh please, like you didn't specifically design your actions in order to shape our opinions." She spit back at him, her shoulders pushed back and her hands gripping the arms of the chair in a vice like grip. Wincing a little at the truth in her statement he blinked back at her, nodding tentatively as she huffed and sat back.

"Look, I'm sorry for lying to you," he looked away from her to meet first Jack's eyes then Merritt's, "all of you, but magic was always my escape and I thought," he swallowed and flicked his eyes to his lap forcing the next words out of his mouth, "that you would all think less of me if you knew everything, or anything." The silence that followed his words made him tense even further, refusing to look up from his lap. "I know you all have shared personal things with me, things that you find hard to talk about and please know that I didn't keep this from you because I didn't trust you." Looking up he saw a clear question written on Henley's face, in the crinkles of betrayal around her mouth and eyes, _why then?_ Before he had a chance to answer Merritt spoke up,

"It's because you haven't made peace with it yourself." It wasn't a question and Daniel didn't feel the need to answer, inclining his head a bit instead.

"Normally I wouldn't say this," Jack's said, his fingers fiddling with the hem of his t-shirt, "because I know what it's like not being able to cope with yourself, but Daniel, we need to know. Not everything, not now, although you should talk to someone about it, but enough so that we can deal with whatever's going on." The tone of authority in his voice was nothing like Daniel had heard from him. He was obviously used to taking responsibility and acting quickly, traits that Daniel admired.

Meeting Jack's eyes Daniel gave him a small smile, reassuring him that he understood. He paused for a moment before beginning, separating himself as much as he could from the words he would say so as to avoid the hurt that came along with them.

"I haven't been close with my father in years, not since my mothered died when I was eight and probably even before then, so the only times I really talk to him anymore are when he calls me, usually drunk, asking for something." He let his thoughts wander a bit to the last time he had seen his father, it had been a few years back when he had gone back home to visit a long time friend of his Andrew. His father had seen him at a small coffee shop through the dirty glass window and had refused to leave until he cajoled him into coming to dinner. It had been a disaster. His dad's buddies had been there, an unsavory bunch of drunkards and addicts who were crass and bigoted on the best of days, and he had ended up sending the entire night refusing drugs, ignoring the comments they made about him and "people like him," and drinking. He shook his head slightly dissipating the memory, clearing it from his mind.

"This time when he called he wanted twelve thousand dollars." He saw Merritt raise his eyebrows so high they almost disappeared into his hat and he had to stop the laugh that bubbled up from reaching his lips. "I told him I didn't have the money and he got angry, saying that he needed it to pay Samson and that if I couldn't give him the cash then what use had there been in keeping me around all those years." His eyes darkened as a bolt of rage shot down his spine, "Even though I'm the one that kept us afloat, shit I-" He cut himself shaking his head and leaning his head into one of his hands. He saw Henley shoot Jack a look but he pretended not to notice.

"Now he's transferred the debt to me, that's what the finger symbolized, and if I don't pay it…let's just say I need to find a way to pay it." Adjusting his posture Daniel felt a lump in the back of his pocket and froze. The finger, he had totally forgotten, too caught up in the events of the past few minutes to remember that he had stuck it there. Quickly he scrambled to pull it from his pocket, dropping it on the ground like it had burned him. Bringing the back of his hand to his mouth he shut his eyes, trying to keep from puking. Breathing deeply through his nose he slowly lowered his hand, eyes fluttering open and shifting to focus on his knees.

"If no one else is going to ask I will, how are you planning on getting the money?" Merritt's sounded wary like he honestly didn't know what the answer might be. Daniel frowned, pushing down the last of the sickness that threatened to spill from his mouth, and looked up.

"I have about six grand in the bank that I can withdraw. As for the other six," he tapped at his thigh, creating an erratic rhythm that matched nervous twitches running through his body, "I'm going to call in a hell of a lot of favors and do as many odd jobs as I can find."

"And when you say odd jobs you mean…" Daniel smirked sadly and shook his head leaning back to look up at the ceiling and the odd yellow stain that ended right above where he was sitting. "I don't wanna know, gotcha."

"What, you're both okay with that answer?" Henley was almost standing, hovering over the edge of her seat using her forearms to push herself up off the cushion. Jack glanced at her nodding and Merritt narrowed his eyes somewhat as he dipped his head forward. "Well I'm not! God Danny, It's like there's this whole other side to you now, like you're a completely different person. I mean putting knives to peoples necks that's something the Danny I know would never do." Daniel felt his hands clenching into fists,

"Don't you get it? That was the point Henley, to be someone who didn't do the things, wouldn't dream of doing the things, I had to in order to survive." Henley shrank back with his retort; maybe it was from the resentment she heard in his words or the words themselves, at this point he was beyond caring.

Sighing Daniel pressed his palms against the couch, "I get it if you guys don't want anything to do with me anymore, I'll help you clean this mess up and after that you won't have to worry. I'll call Rhodes and explain the whole thing to him." He tried to silence the voice in his head that reminded him he could get kicked out of the Eye, he didn't need more to worry about.

The sound of Henley laughing, a dry tinkling sound drew his eyes up to meet hers,

"You're crazy if you think I'm letting you go that easily, you knows what'll happen to you if I'm not there to watch your back." His eyes widened at her words, he had expected her to be the first to go and, even though it would have torn at his heart, he would have let her. He may have just gotten her back but that in no way entitled him to her, he had learned that the hard way, and Merritt's relentless flirting had helped to hammer the message home.

"Yeah Atlas, you can't get rid of us that easily." Merritt smiled at him, not his obnoxious I'm-better-than-you smile, a real one. He felt the corner of his mouth tick up in response and he cast his eyes over to where Jack sat. The grin he received from him somehow lifted a weight from his shoulders he hadn't known was there in the first place. Nodding to no one in particular Daniel watched as Henley stood up,

"This place is a sty." She looked pointedly at Merritt who immediately stood up, followed by Jack and then Daniel who was still a bit cautious; he didn't want to ruin the agreement they seemed to have struck.

Jack picked up a sock and tentatively smelled it before throwing it at Merritt and pinching his nose closed,

"That's yours." The disgust was clear in his voice and Merritt rolled his eyes, crumpling the sock up and shoving it into his back pocket,

"Ha ha very funny, just wait till I find one of your dirty shirts." Jack raised his eyebrow at Merritt, issuing a challenge and Henley, bending down and grabbing a hairbrush, proceeded to throw it at Merritt. The mentalist scoffed,

"Now that's just mean." Henley giggled and Jack grinned. He looked over at Daniel and nodded kindly. Daniel felt a rush of gratitude towards the young man, he certainty was an expert at defusing tension.

Smiling, Daniel bent over to grab the pitcher still on the center of the floor, and allowed his shoulders to relax. They may not know everything but for now it was enough, and for that he was thankful.


End file.
